Families living in isolated areas do not have the same degree of access to education options as those who live in regional and metropolitan areas.
Distance education is often the only education choice for these isolated students.
The role of a parent home tutor or governess plays a critical support role in the delivery of distance education in some of the remotest home schoolrooms across rural Queensland.
The seven state-delivered distance education schools provide geographically isolated children with the ability to access online classes taught by qualified educators based at the various campuses, however, it is the home tutor/governess that provides the hands-on and face-to-face learning support within the home-based schoolroom.
Living on a property in the Nebo district, Sonya Shelley and her family of four have experienced the educational challenges faced by many rural communities when deciding the best education option for their children.
Sonya first became a home tutor to her eldest daughter, Darci-Jayne who is now 15 and attending boarding school, in 2016 when they enrolled with the Capricornia School of Distance Education.
Her youngest son, Nate, aged 10, is set to complete his final primary year, grade six, in 2025.
As Sonya approaches her 10th and final year of being a home tutor, she is determined to voice her concerns about the ongoing challenge families experience in finding suitable applicants for governessing roles.
“For some time, there has been a sheer lack of awareness and promotion of the valuable role of ‘governesses play in the delivery of distance education’,” she said.
“When searching for one, many families report that the issue is not a lack of candidates but rather a lack of suitably skilled ones.
“Our rural children deserve equitable education. To help drive educational outcomes, families require governesses with the appropriate qualifications, skillset, or experience, as it is a job that carries significant responsibility.
“Often, families are forced to settle for an unskilled person, whom they then have to train and support, which comes at a huge cost to their business due to the time it requires to upskill them to ensure their children’s academic progress is not negatively impacted.”
Sonya explained that this was one of the reasons she decided to take on the role herself.
The other reason was to overcome the 1000km per week of travel associated with accessing a mainstream school in their district of Nebo.
“My secret to being a parent home tutor is sticking to my routine and being 100 per cent invested and consistent with the schooling programs,” Sonya said.
“In a family business, It’s a balancing act. I wear many hats – mother, wife, business partner, cook, cleaner, ringer, gardener, bookkeeper, and home tutor – the list is endless.
“The degree of responsibility and commitment home tutors give is not for the faint-hearted.”
Despite her ‘superwoman’ capabilities, Sonya has educated her children through their primary years without formal teaching qualifications.
At the start of her tutoring journey, Sonya joined the Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association (ICPA) and attended as many home-tutor seminars as possible.
Sonya said this helped her deepen her understanding of the educational system and navigate the challenges of supporting her children in a distance education setting.
“There are numerous challenges in this industry, especially when you can’t afford or find a reliable governess,” she said.
“During times of financial hardship, which are common in the agricultural industry, the cost of employing a governess often forces the parent, most commonly the mother, to take on the role of a home tutor.
“Governessing tends to be a job taken up by young people with limited life experience, and often for a short period, such as a ‘gap year’.
“The transient nature of this workforce is a constant challenge for rural families, who must continually recruit and train new governesses.”
Rural governess Molly Bradshaw, Clermont, has worked in the role for five years and says it is not an easy job.
“The days can be long, the children get tired, and of course, there is the isolation and the general roughness of life in the bush,” Molly said.
“It is hard to balance a six to seven-hour school day with daily life, especially with children of different ages.
“But in saying that, it can also be a very rewarding experience.”
Having grown up on her family’s cattle station, Molly is familiar with the ‘rural life’ and the educational standards.
During her school years, she and her siblings were homeschooled by a different governess each year and now being an educator herself, Molly has seen the challenges posed by the lack of skilled applicants in the field.
“The shortage of available and capable governesses is a significant issue for many rural families, especially those managing large properties or juggling other jobs,” she said.
“Governessing as a whole needs greater exposure and encouragement to attract people to the field.
“This could also bring government attention and potentially lead to support measures, such as making governessing count towards childcare or teaching certificates and degrees.”
For the past five years, Molly has taught the Scott family through their primary schooling.
She now looks forward to the next stage of her career as a primary school teacher.
Although her time as a rural governess has concluded, Molly is proud of her contribution.
“I decided to become a governess and start my teaching degree because I want to give children in the bush the best education possible,” she said.
“With many rural schools, teachers come and go, often completing their rural placement before moving on. This can be difficult for students to adjust to.
“I want children in rural schools to have a teacher who is dedicated to them and committed to staying.”
